Like Clarksville, the city of Russellville, Kentucky, gained its early wealth from tobacco, and income from that crop has allowed planters in both cities to build lovely homes that dot the rolling hills of Tennessee and neighboring Kentucky. This fall, the Clarksville Arts & Heritage Development Council is hosting an all-day guided bus tour of a number of those historic homes in Russellville.

The 2013 Heritage Home Tour of Russellville will be held on Saturday, September 21. Departing from the Riverview Inn parking lot (50 College Street, Clarksville) at approximately 8:45am and returning at approximately 5:30pm, the tour bus will visit the following locations:

Parrish Heights, a brand-new two-story country home with columns, patterned after an old Greek Revival;

Caldwell/Orndorff House, originally built circa 1820 by Samuel Caldwell, first merchant of Russellville, and later owned by Christopher Orndorff, who was in the grist milling business;

O’Bannon House, built circa 1807 by Presley Neville O’Bannon, a Virginia-born Marine who planted the U.S. flag at Tripoli;

Methodist Temple, Methodist church erected in 1852 and renovated in 1917, with a catered lunch followed by an a capella song by Frank Walton and discussion of church history and stained glass windows by Evelyn Richardson;

Bibb House, built circa 1820 by Virginia-born Major Richard Bibb, an example of fine early Kentucky architecture which now serves as a museum and is currently under renovation;

“Rich View” Home, built circa 1938 in the Federal style, with antebellum stairway and front porch columns imported from New Orleans and Louisville, and currently owned by Lt. Col. Jack and Emily Rich;

Harmony Hall, built circa 1849 by Benjamin Keene Sully from bricks made on the place and said to have been so named because of Sully family members’ love of making music in its halls.

This event is made possible in part through the generous support of Planters Bank and F&M Bank.

Reservations, including lunch, are $75 (non-AHDC members) and $70 (AHDC members). Space is limited, and payment is due at the time of reservation. We regret to say that tickets to the Heritage Home Tour of Russellville are sold out. Thank you to all of you who will be attending.